STUDYING IN JAPAN

BY RACHEL NASH

Posted: 6th January 2014 13:07

It would seem that nowadays Japan is more famous for anime cartoons and their science fiction dinosaur Godzilla but when it comes to education, the country has educated some of the finest Nobel Prize winners. Better yet, their growing economic and cultural expansion makes it the perfect time to study here.

Studying part time (one year or less) at a Japanese language school will only require a tourist visa but a student visa is vital if you wish to become a full time student. The application for a student visa requests an educational institution as their sponsor. Once successful, you are unable to work during your time in Japan unless you acquire permission from the school or university you are studying at. This is to avoid distraction from studies and to get the utmost potential out of students.

A regular undergraduate degree at any Japan University is four years whereas degrees in medicine, dentistry and pharmacy last for six years. The most popular courses are found in the social sciences such as law, business and accounting.

In terms of cost, the Japanese government runs scholarships, privately financed and foreign government sponsored programmes for students to fund their fees and master’s degree will cost around £1,000 a month.

Japan is renowned for entertaining crowds with their own brand of sport, sumo wrestling. Tournaments last for 15 days and are held in ‘sumo stadiums’ around the country in cities such as Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.

For a glimpse of Japanese history the legendary temples that are found everywhere around the country are more than worth a visit. Finding your inner Buddha is easier than you think as most temples are free to visit in Tokyo.

There is nothing like celebrating and no one does it better than the Japanese. Heaps of festivals are held frequently over the summer and the most popular is the ‘Kandra Matsuri’ which involves numerous musicians, dancers, floats and fireworks.

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